Witness: Balfour threatened to kill Jennifer Hudson's family

Assistant State's Attorney James P. McKay, right, heads to the courtroom with the prosecution team at the Cook County Criminal Courthouse on Thursday for William Balfour's trial. (Michael Tercha, Chicago Tribune)

Jennifer Hudson’s former brother-in-law was suspicious his wife was cheating on him and threatened to kill her entire family just two months before Hudson’s mother, brother, and 7-year-old nephew were slain, a witness testified today in the trial of William Balfour.

Robbin Myers, whose wife was good friends with Hudson’s sister, Julia, testified Balfour came to a birthday party at his home in August 2008 and “went on a rant” about how he suspected his wife was seeing a co-worker.

“If I find out she’s cheating on me, I’m gonna (expletive) her and him up,’” Myers quoted Balfour as saying.

Myers said Balfour referred to Hudson’s bother, Jason, as “that fat ass” who had accused him of stealing his handgun from the Hudson home.

Myers also said Balfour was upset that the Hudson family hated him, including Jennifer Hudson, who he said “thinks she’s better than everybody else.”

After hearing Balfour's alleged complaint about her, Jennifer Hudson whispered something to her fiance, David Otunga, and shook her head.

During their conversation, Myers testified, Balfour threatened to kill the Hudson family “at least 10 times” and became agitated and raised his arms, exposing a handgun stuck in his waistband. Prosecutors alleged that Balfour had stolen the gun from Jason Hudson and later used it to commit the murders.

Myers also testified he saw Balfour just days before the slayings in October 2008 slouched down in his car outside the bus company where Julia Hudson and Myers’ wife worked. He said he saw Balfour get out of the car with a gun in his waistband and start walking toward the building, but Myers interrupted “what he was about to do” by honking his horn.

Earlier today, jurors learned more about Balfour’s infidelities as one of his former girlfriends testified about the women he dated while he was still married to Jennifer Hudson’s sister.

Chicago resident Diana Grant said she met Balfour through friends and began dating him in 2007. She learned he was married a couple of months later but says she was already in love with him.

She continued seeing him, carrying on the affair at hotels and buying him clothes -- even though she knew he was dating at least one other woman and had a wife. Under questioning from prosecutors, she said she called him “Flex” and “Baby’ while they were together.

Jennifer Hudson and her sister, Julia, whispered back and forth to each other during Grant’s testimony, in easily one of their most animated reactions to courtroom testimony so far this week.

Grant told jurors that Balfour slept at her apartment the night before the murders, but he did not want to have sex with her. He left her home around 6 a.m. while it was still dark outside, she said.

About three hours later on Oct. 24, 2008, prosecutors say, Balfour fatally shot Hudson’s mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother Jason in an act of spite against Julia Hudson. Authorities allege Balfour, who was separated at the time despite his attempts at reconciliation, also pulled Julia’s son, Julian, from the home, drove him to the West Side and killed him.

Grant testified that she repeatedly called and sent text messages to Balfour that afternoon. He finally picked up the phone around 4 p.m. and promised to call her back. He never did.

Balfour was arrested later that evening at another girlfriend’s apartment. Grant told jurors that she was unaware of that particular girlfriend at the time.

Grant also tied Balfour to an apartment building on the same block as the Hudson family home on Yale Street. His close connection to the building is important, as prosecutors say he asked a woman who lived there to serve as his alibi on the day of the murders.

Another witness, James Payton, described seeing Balfour sell cocaine from that location on several occasions. Payton is Jennifer Hudson’s ex-boyfriend and a longtime family friend. The actress sat with her chin propped on her hand as Payton testified.